1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile telecommunication terminal, and more particularly to a method for changing a performance controlling parameter for a mobile telecommunication terminal using a short message service (SMS).
2. Background of the Related Art
The short message service (SMS) was developed by taking advantage of the digital architecture of modern mobile telecommunication networks. Specifically, digital data can be transmitted throughout the mobile telecommunication network. The SMS allows for transmission of characters, such as numbers, letters, and other symbols, in the form of a short message. Thus, a user can send and receive a short sentence of 80-160 bytes using a mobile communication terminal, without requiring additional equipment.
Usage of SMS has increased dramatically in recent times, as greater numbers of people have begun using mobile communications. Unlike e-mail, an SMS message is transmitted to a recipient almost instantaneously upon its being sent. Hence, SMS has become firmly rooted as a means of telecommunication. Additionally, various information services employ SMS to transmit information such as weather forecasts, news reports, and stock market information. Moreover, the SMS message can include both an origination number and a message.
Usage of SMS has also expanded into the realm of electronic commercial transactions and/or electronic settlements. For example, SMS can be used with credit card companies to transmit transaction approval content to a mobile telecommunication terminal.Among other benefits, such a commercial use can prevent unauthorized credit card transactions.
FIG. 1 illustrates a construction of an SMS system of a general mobile telecommunication network. As shown in FIG. 1, the SMS system includes a mobile telecommunication terminal 1 with software therein that supports the SMS, an SMS message center 4 for routing a short message transmitted through a base station 2 and an exchanger 3, and an SMS server 5 where an application program for various additional services connected to an external network is mounted.
An operation of the SMS system will next be described. First, a short message that has been transmitted by a user through the mobile telecommunication terminal 1 is transmitted to the exchanger 3 through the base station 2. The exchanger 3 certifies that the transmitted message is an SMS message and transmits it to the message center 4. The message center 4 determines to where the message has to be transmitted by using a destination telephone number of the short message and thereby performs a routing.
The SMS provided through the above system is typically transmitted using either a point-to-point service or a broadcasting service.
Point-to-point service is a service for sending a short message to a user of a specified mobile telecommunication terminal to which reliable transmission is possible. That is, the message center checks a state of the destination mobile telecommunication terminal and completes a transmission of the short message according to the determined state.
Broadcasting service is a service for sending a short message to each of a plurality of mobile telecommunication terminals in a group. The group can be established in any manner, such as based on region information or subscription information. In the broadcasting service, since the short message is simultaneously transmitted to the group of users, if a given user turns the power of the mobile telecommunication terminal off or if the user's line is busy, the corresponding short message will not be received.
The related art system and method have various problems, For example, the related art mobile telecommunication terminal has to be upgraded by off-line A/S in order to control special performance features or to change a parameter used to realize the performance.
That is, in order to change the parameter which controls the performance of the mobile telecommunication terminal, the entire software has to be upgraded. Also, when the performance is required to be changed by the mobile telecommunication provider or the mobile telecommunication terminal provider, the user has to visit an agent or a customer service center to receive the off-line A/S.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.